1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to optical fiber, and particularly to dispersion compensating optical fibers and systems employing same.
2. Technical Background
Competitive telecommunications markets demand higher bit rate transmission, and optical fiber needs to support the higher rates. Known positive dispersion optical fibers, such as SMF28e® transmission optical fiber from Corning Incorporated, which have a zero dispersion at around 1310 nm, are used for transmissions in the C-band (1525-1560 nm) or 1530 to 1570 nm. Chromatic dispersion are such wavelengths is a major concern for these transmission fibers. Dispersion Compensating Modules (DCMs) are typically used to handle the loss of signal due to positive dispersion. These DCMs incorporate a suitable length of Dispersion Compensating Fiber (DCF) to compensate for the positive dispersion. The present market demands smaller insertion loss (IL) and also the ability to cover a wide range of wavelengths. One way of reducing IL is to use smaller lengths of dispersion compensating fiber to compensate for the same length of the transmission SMF28 fiber. The quantity dispersion/attenuation is known as figure of merit (FOM), wherein it is desirable to have higher FOM.